Enjoy a lazy day by the pool,
overlooking the Umbrian fields. Relax on one of the terraces with a glass of wine. Catch up on all the books you have been meaning to read for ages.

Deruta
Go shopping in Deruta for its famous 'majolica' ceramics - blue, orange and yellow are the predominant colours used - perhaps to reflect the colours of the summer sky and sun.

Follow the signs
to the little hamlet of Canalicchio, not too far from the house. The entire hamlet has been restored and is now a hotel, with a lovely restaurant. Go for dinner and enjoy the views from the restaurants.

Discover Umbria
Pick up one of the many booklets available at the tourist offices. They suggest various drives around Umbria based on different themes e.g. Art Trails, Wine, Life around the Lake. Discover Umbria at your own pace.

Visit the less well-known towns of Umbria
medieval hill top places that seem untouched by the modern day world. Bettona, Montefalco, Spoleto are all worth a visit.

If you love jazz,
go to Perugia in July for its world famous Umbrian Jazz Festival. Performers come from all over the world, and concerts take place day and night. If you love chocolate, visit Perugia in October for its Chocolate Festival.

Visit the Monte Subásio National Park
Go for a walk that will take through beautiful countryside teeming with wildlife, flowers and plants. Ask at the tourist office for maps and guides.

Market day
The weekly open-air market is part of Italian life. Stalls laden with produce, scents and smells filling the air, and a crowd of Italians - finish the morning's shopping with a coffee in a bar. Todi holds its market on a Saturday morning, Marsciano and Montefalco on a Monday morning

Try 'porchetta'
- pork stuffed with liver, pepper, garlic, salt and wild fennel, then cooked on a spit over a wood fire. Available all over Italy, it is, however, of Umbrian origin!

Experience the 'passeggiata'.
In any town or large village, especially on a weekend or holiday, everyone congregates in the main square early and late evening. They sit and chat with their friends, go for a stroll, sip an aperitif in one of the bars, or stop for an ice-cream. It is the perfect time to people watch!

Calici di Stelle
Visit Montefalco on 10th August for the 'Calici di Stelle', the night of the Shooting Stars. You will be able to sample local wines and food during the evening while watching the sky for shooting stars.

Drive to Norcia,
one of the culinary capitals of Italy. It has the reputation of producing the country's best sausages and salami, as well as being famous for its cheese.

Visit Todi
- it was once voted the most perfect place to live and you will probably agree after visiting this lovely town. Spend a morning wandering around its narrow streets and have a cappuccino in the main piazza.

Lake Corbara
Follow the S448 from Todi and it will take you past Lago di Corbara, an artifical lake where you can do a variety of water sports throughout the summer.

Vissini
Lake Corbara also boasts a famous and very expensive restaurant called Vissini, in a village called Baschi. Vissini is one of Italy's top chefs and his restaurant has become well known throughout Italy for excellent food. A place for a special occasion.

Visit the Marmore Waterfalls near Terni,
the tallest of which is 80 m high. You can go on a guided tour along the trails along the top of the cliff.

Simply go for a drive through the countryside.
The true beauty of Umbria is before you - amazing views, hilltop villages, vineyards... Stop when you feel like it, wander around a village, have a leisurely lunch somewhere, the choice is yours.

A visit to Assisi is a must.
But go early evening when the crowds have gone, and the streets are quiet to get a true feeling for the town and its spiritual history.